#ReadShine: Is it all fair in love and Kpop?

Written by former Girls’ Generation member Jessica Jung, Shine tells the story of 17-year-old Rachel Kim who flew from New York City all the way to Seoul to train and become a Kpop star under DB Entertainment. While the hype around it remains high because of the expected tea-spilling from the infamous 930 in 2014, Shine brings to light and confirms many open secrets about the Kpop industry.

Fiction though it may be, Jessica’s debut novel tackles a lot of relevant issues which are concerning — from the intense rivalry among trainees and strict diets and training routines to well-curated media play and power moves of Kpop as a business machinery. Shine is indeed what many expect to be a tell-all but not in the way they are expecting.

Fair warning, there may be some spoilers ahead so read carefully.

1. The Dorm Life. Since trainees need to dedicate almost their whole life to training, entertainment agencies assign them dormitories that are close to the agency so they can balance rest and training. According to the novel, not many are fortunate enough to be allowed to go to their own homes, despite living within the same city. Thus, Rachel is seen by her co-trainees as someone receiving special treatment and is given the nickname “Princess Rachel”.

2. Grueling Competition and Training Hours. Many trainees dedicate themselves to achieving perfection to get noticed by agency executives, earning them praise and possibly a chance to debut in the Kpop world. This is one of the reasons why trainees tend to quit from school and refocus their time and effort on their craft, hoping to one day showcase their talents on the big stage.

3. Strict Diets and Monthly Weigh-Ins. It’s no secret that Kpop stars have an image to maintain, but it all starts during their trainee days. Shine implied that the goal was to maintain a slim physique for girls and a lean body for boys. Trainees do have the freedom to eat what they want outside training, but it only makes it tougher for them come the monthly weigh-ins, since weight is also one of the factors that executives look at.

4. Smiling for the Camera aka Media Training. One of Rachel’s biggest challenges as a trainee is being in front of a camera. Trainees should be comfortable whether they’re performing, speaking, or even as simple as appearing on camera. Media training is required to make sure anything a trainee says is aligned with their image as a Kpop star and as a member of a Kpop group.

5. Having a Role to Play. Shine didn’t shy away from the fact that trainees are being groomed to play and act a certain role as soon as they debut. From their personality to how they should look and sound like publicly, everything is controlled by the agency. If a trainee was not up for it, they either get pushed back to train harder or worse, get cut from the program.

6. Going Under the Knife. Another open secret to many Kpop fans, Shine touched on the subject several times, which has also been rumored to be the cause of dismissal by one of the trainees of DB. Apart from talent, image is everything in Kpop. And so, undergoing plastic surgery is seen as a normal circumstance, be it double-eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, or even liposuction.

7. Strict Dating Rules. Since trainees are being groomed to have a role to play in the future, dating is strictly prohibited as this could potentially ruin an idol and the agency’s image. Many fans are aware of how unforgiving agencies and the media are when it comes to dating scandals, so having a relationship was out of the question. Being the naive girl that she is, Rachel struggled to understand this and learns the consequences the hard way.

8. Narratives and Media Play. An open secret that many fans acknowledge, especially when there’s an upcoming comeback or they need to bury a scandal. Entertainment agencies have a strong hold of their idols and talents, so it isn’t surprising how much they can control narratives and utilize media play to their advantage.

In the last few chapters of Shine, Rachel learns the fate of a member of DB girl group Electric Flower who gets caught up in a dating scandal. The said member was later announced to have left the group but was eventually destroyed by the media. All it takes are a few photos, several clips and news reports, and you’re done.

8. Double Standards and Misogyny. Last and probably the heaviest theme that Shine brought to light, the industry’s misogyny and double standards. This may or may not be a spoiler but Rachel did date one of DB’s brightest stars Jason Lee. In one instance in the book, Rachel even bursts out at Jason saying how unfair the industry is when it comes to women. She retorted how male idols are so carefree, yet female idols had to be watchful of everything — the food they eat, their body size, clothes, hair, how they talk and act, every little detail.

This rings true to this day, though. Scandals in the industry when you put boy groups and girl groups side by side — boy groups are loved, forgiven and defended to death despite being in the wrong, while girl groups are slut-shamed and crucified, even if they’re innocent.

As Shine sheds light on these are open secrets in the Kpop industry, many aspirants still tread for their own reasons — showcasing their talent, their ticket to stardom, or like Rachel, Asian representation on the global stage. Fans may also argue how there are better fanfictions out there. But, while Shine parades itself as a fictional novel, it’s bigger than that. And being officially published makes the weight of these issues all the more real and concerning.

Strip the Shine of its plot and characters and what you have is indeed a tell-all book, not on Girls’ Generation and the events that led to 930, but how dark, cruel, and disturbing it really is behind the glitz and glam of Kpop. From the double standards and misogyny to the endless cycle of cyberbullying, something is really broken somewhere and it requires a lot of work.

So is it really all fair and love in Kpop? #ReadShine

Curious about 930? We’ve prepared A Prelude to #ReadShine just for you!

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